The invention relates to a device for pelletizing at least one strand of material to be pelletized by means of a cutting device with two blades that can be displaced relative to each other, at least one feed roller and at least one strand feeder for feeding the strand to the cutting device according to the preamble of claim 1.
In general, there is the problem with such strand pelletizing devices that, under certain conditions, irregularities can be encountered upon the feeding of the strand to the cutting device. This can happen, above all, in a start-up procedure. Because of the possible inhomogeneous strand material, clumping, superposition or strand breakage can happen.
Furthermore, conventional strand pelletizing devices usually require that, upon retooling for different materials to be pelletized, extensive structural changes have to be made in order to adapt the strand guiding device to the respective strand material, the respective strand thickness, the respective viscosity of the strand materials and the like.
Furthermore, the above problems foreclose a far reaching or complete automation of the operation of conventional strand pelletizing devices, in particular an automatic start-up operation of such devices.
In the preamble of the US-application US 2005/0077644 A1 various state of the art in the field of strand guiding devices of strands to be pelletized is described. There is shown, for example, a cascade chute which is not adjustable and is exposed to a water stream, or a vertical strand guiding plate which is not adjustable in its inclination.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention, to provide a device for pelletizing of at least one strand out of material to be pelletized which device overcomes the disadvantages of the state of the art and offers in particular in a structurally simple way a cost efficient operation, an improved adaptability to different working conditions, in particular in the start-up procedure, and, where required, an automation of the operation as far as possible, also here in particular for the start-up procedure.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a device having the features of claim 1.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the sub-claims.
The inventive device for pelletizing at least one strand of material to be pelletized comprises a cutting device with two blades that can be displayed relative to each other, at least one feed roller and at least one strand feeder for feeding the strand to the cutting device. Downstream of the actual strand feeder in the region directly in front of the feed roller and next to the same, i.e. between the actual strand feeder and the feed roller of the cutting device, an additional tap-shaped rectification guide which is adjustable in its inclination and movable in relation to the strand feeder, is arranged according to the invention by which guide the angle at which the strand is fed to the feed roller or is adapted to be fed, respectively, is adjustable. The rectification guide can, therein, be provided without further water or fluid supply. By means of the adjustability of the angle an adaptation to different working conditions, strand materials, start-up processes and the like is enabled as far as possible by means of a structurally simple and, thereby, cost effective way. An automatic operation can, therefore, be realized according to the invention in a comparatively simple way.
The special structural simplicity can, according to the invention, additionally be achieved thereby that the rectification guide is arranged at an angle which is inclined downwards with respect to the vertical in such a way that the strand moving thereon, is supplied to the feed roller at least there, i.e. in the region of the rectification guide, under the influence of gravity without further moving means, i.e. particular without further strand feeding devices such as like belt conveyors or under the influence of a feeding fluid, (only) under the influence of gravity without further feeding means.
A particular adaptability can be structurally achieved if, in the inventive device, the inclination of the rectification guide and the inclination of the strand feeder may be adjusted separately from each other, preferably even independently from each other.
The invention will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to the one single FIG. 1 with the embodiment which is shown there as an example.